Large crowd takes to the streets in Truro for equality and women’s rights

Led by loud, empowering music and outfitted with signs marked with slogans like ‘Respect us’ and ‘Every body rocks’, the crowd took to the streets for a police-escorted march around the downtown area for the 2018 Women’s March in Truro. - Cody McEachern

A little bit of cold didn’t stop the women and men from Colchester County and beyond from marching for equality.

A large group of women and men took to the streets of Truro Saturday afternoon for the 2018 Women’s March, a global gathering of strong women and men fighting for the rights and equality of women across the world.

“Now, more than ever, there is a strong call to action to press for progress and to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive,” said Tracey Dorrington-Skinner as she addressed the crowd before the march.

“Let’s make International Women’s Day your day, and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women. Let’s all press for progress in 2018.”

The large group gathered at the gazebo in Truro’s Riverfront Park to hear speeches about empowerment, equality, the importance of standing up for what is right and the need for change in 2018.

“How many of us, on Facebook, have written Me Too, or used #MeToo. I can say probably a majority of us have, but it’s time for us to say ‘no more’,” said local MLA Lenore Zann before the march.

“Even with young kids, they’ve told us that if they speak up for women, some of the boys will call them femi-Nazis. No more. We have to change this attitude. We are equal, and we deserve love and respect.”

Led by loud, empowering music and outfitted with brightly coloured signs with slogans such as ‘Respect us’ and ‘Every body rocks’, the crowd took to the streets for a police-escorted march around the downtown area.

The march started around 4:30 p.m., moving from the park up Mill Street before continuing onto Queen Street. The group then cut down Lorne Street and went down Prince Street before getting on Walker Street to loop back to the park.

As they returned to the park, the crowd joined in for a roll call of all the different groups, unions, schools, and places that were represented in the march.

Tracey Dorrington-Skinner led the crowd in paying respects to the strong women who fell before them during the 2018 Women’s March on Saturday.